I am pleased to announce that the Expedited Policy Development Process on the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data Team (EPDP Team) published the Addendum to its Phase 2 Initial Report on 24 March 2020 and is seeking public comment. This Public Comment period is scheduled to close on 5 May 2020. The publication of the Addendum is a major milestone as the EPDP Team works to complete its Final Report for delivery to the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council by June 2020.
To organize our Phase 2 work, the EPDP Team agreed to divide our work into priority 1 and priority 2 topics. Priority 1 topics include the System for Standardized Access/Disclosure (SSAD) to non-public registration data and all questions directly related to the SSAD. The EPDP Team's Phase 2 Initial Report, which was published on 7 February 2020, represents the team's deliberations on and preliminary conclusion of the priority 1 topics.
The Addendum to the Phase 2 Initial Report provides our preliminary recommendations and conclusions on how the SSAD is designed to handle the following priority 2 topics:
- Display of information of affiliated vs. accredited privacy/proxy providers
- Legal vs. natural persons
- City field redaction
- Data retention
- Potential Purpose for ICANN's Office of the Chief Technology Officer (e.g., ICANN Research Purpose)
- Feasibility of unique contacts to have a uniform anonymized email address
- Accuracy and WHOIS Accuracy Reporting System
- Purpose 2 (e.g., Security, Stability, and Resiliency Purpose)
We are conscious that, due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 outbreak around the world, you may not have been able to submit your input to the EPDP Team's Phase 2 Initial Report addressing SSAD by its Public Comment period deadline of 23 March 2020.
I want to assure you that you may still submit your comments on any part of the EPDP Team's Phase 2 Initial Report after the 23 March 2020 deadline, if more time is needed to prepare your comments. If you intend to do so, please follow the instructions below:
- Send an email to gnso-secs@icann.org by 31 March at the latest to notify the EPDP Team that your comments for the Phase 2 Initial report will be submitted late, so we can plan our review of public comments accordingly.
- Submit your delayed comments for the Phase 2 Initial Report following the instructions published in the Public Comment forum for the Addendum to the Phase 2 Initial Report no later than 5 May 2020.
Following review of the public comments, the EPDP Team intends to fold the conclusions from the Addendum into its Final Report, which will include recommendations related to the SSAD as well as the aforementioned priority 2 topics.
I want to thank the EPDP Team for their efforts and flexibility shown in reaching agreement on the proposed recommendations for almost all of the priority 2 items. The EPDP Team and I look forward to the community's constructive input as we move towards completing our work on these important topics.